1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a robot apparatus that handles goods by means of respective parts thereof such as the head portion, arm portion and finger portion, etc., and a robot remote controlling apparatus for remotely controlling the robot apparatus via a mobile communications network such as a PHS line, etc.
2. Prior Arts
Recently, in line with an increase in work by a robot apparatus, importance has been placed on a robot operating apparatus, which provides instructions such as finger movements and arm movements to the robot apparatus.
As a prior art finger portion operating portion that provides movement instructions to the finger portion, there is an input device acting as a data glove that is described in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3465 of 1994. The data glove is such that conductive gel is mounted at the joints of fingers of a glove-shaped input device, and, by utilizing changes in electric resistance values of the conductive gel in line with bending and stretching states of the fingers, bending and stretching actions of fingers of a robot are instructed. Also, as a prior art arm portion operating portion that provides movement instructions to the arm portion, an arm portion structure, whose size is similar to that of an arm portion structure of a human""s, is considered to be like an operating portion that carries the same on a shoulder.
However, since, in a prior art finger portion operating portion, the data glove is shaped to be a glove and it is necessary to attach conductive gel, which acts as sensors, to the joints of respective fingers, there occur some problems in that the attaching and detaching thereof is made cumbersome, and fingers perspire in a glove when it is hot, and the sweating makes an operator uncomfortable. Also, there occur other problems in that a structure of the prior art arm portion operating portion is such that the man carries the same on his shoulders, and it is heavy to carry the arm portion operating portion, resulting in a difficulty in operation.
It is requested that the robot remote controlling apparatus can easily and comfortably carry out operations in the finger portion operating portion and arm portion operating portion, and can easily and comfortably carry out operations at other parts than at the above-described operating portions. It is also requested that a robot apparatus that is remotely controlled by the robot remote controlling apparatus is easily remotely controlled and the structure is simple.
In order to meet the above-described requirements, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a robot remote controlling apparatus that can easily and comfortably carry out operations at the finger portion operating portion and arm portion operating portion and can easily and comfortably carry out operations at other parts than at the above-described operating portions, and a robot apparatus having a simple structure, which is easily and remotely controlled by the above robot remote controlling apparatus.
In order to solve the problems and other shortcomings, a robot remote controlling apparatus according to the invention includes: a robot operating apparatus including an upper limb portion operating portion for carrying out finger operations and arm operations, a fuselage operating portion for carrying out body operations, travel portion operations, and running operations, and a head portion operating portion for carrying out head operations; a computer apparatus including a display for displaying data, an input device for inputting data, and an operation controlling portion for processing data on the basis of operation data from the robot operating apparatus; and a mobile communications device for transmitting data, which is processed by the computer apparatus, via wireless circuits; and the same comprises: a rack that accommodates the computer apparatus excluding the display and input device, and at the same time, that mounts the display; an up and down moving arm that is rotatably disposed on the rack and whose tip end portion can move up and down; and a supporting section rotatably disposed on the tip end portion, which detects a turning angle with respect to the tip end portion as a left and right turning angle of a head portion, and detects a turning angle of a roller disposed on the upper surface thereof as an up and down turning angle of the head portion, and in which the input device is disposed at the front side thereof, and the left and right upper limb portion operating portions are disposed at the left and right sides thereof, and an independent box-shaped leg operating section on which the fuselage operating portion is disposed.
Thereby, it is possible to obtain a robot remote controlling apparatus that can easily and comfortably carry out operations at the finger portion operating portion and arm portion operating portion, and can easily and comfortably carry out operations at other parts than at the above-described portions.
Also, in order to solve the above-described problems and shortcomings, a robot apparatus according to the invention is a robot apparatus for driving respective parts of the robot upon receiving, via a base station and a public communications network, the transmission data from the robot remote controlling apparatus that is composed of a robot operating apparatus for operating the respective parts of the robot, an operation side computer apparatus that processes data on the basis of operation data from the robot operating apparatus, and an operation side mobile communications unit for transmitting data, which is processed by the computer apparatus, via a wireless circuit; which is provided with a robot side mobile communications unit for receiving transmission data from the operation side mobile communications unit; a robot side computer apparatus for processing data, which is received by the robot side mobile communications unit, and outputting the operation data; and a robot mechanism portion including respective parts of the robot that are controlled on the basis of the operation data outputted from the robot side computer apparatus.
Thereby, it is possible to obtain a robot apparatus having a simple structure, which can be easily and remotely controlled by the above-described robot remote controlling apparatus.
A robot remote controlling apparatus according to a first aspect of the invention is constructed so that the same includes: a robot operating apparatus including an upper limb portion operating portion for carrying out finger operations and arm operations, a fuselage operating portion for carrying out body operations, travel portion operations, and running operations, and a head portion operating portion for carrying out head operations; a computer apparatus including a display for displaying data, an input device for inputting data, and an operation controlling portion for processing data on the basis of operation data from the robot operating apparatus; and a mobile communications device for transmitting data, which is processed by the computer apparatus, via wireless circuits; and the same comprises: a rack that accommodates the computer apparatus excluding the display and the input device, and at the same time, that mounts the display; an up and down moving arm that is rotatably disposed on the rack and whose tip end portion can move up and down; and a supporting section rotatably disposed on the tip end portion, which detects a turning angle with respect to the tip end portion as a left and right turning angle of a head portion, and detects a turning angle of a roller disposed on the upper surface thereof as an up and down turning angle of the head portion, and in which the input device is disposed at the front side thereof, and the left and right upper limb portion operating portions are disposed at the left and right sides thereof, and an independent box-shaped leg operating section on which the fuselage operating portion is disposed.
With the above-described construction, the upper limb portion operating portion having the finger portion operating portion, arm portion operating portion and head portion up and down operating portion is disposed on the supporting section, wherein it is not necessary for an operator to carry the same on his shoulders. The upper limb portion operating portion can be made small in size and light in weight, and its operation can be made easy and comfortable. Further, it becomes possible to easily carry out the left and right turning operations of the head by turning the supporting section, that is, the upper limb portion operating portion disposed on the supporting section, and by disposing the fuselage operating portion to carry out operations at the body portion and travel portion as an independent operating portion, it becomes possible to carry out the operations at the body portion and travel portion independently from the above operating portions, for example, by operating a leg, wherein such an advantageous effect can be brought about, by which the operations of the body portion and travel portion can be easily and comfortably carried out. Also, since a display is disposed on the rack and an input device is disposed on the supporting section, such an advantageous effect can be brought about, by which visual check of the display and input operations can be made easy.
The robot remote controlling apparatus according to a second aspect of the invention is featured, in addition to the robot remote controlling apparatus described in the first aspect, in that the left and right arm portion operating portions, respectively, include a shoulder forward and backward movement instructing portion for instructing forward and backward movements of a shoulder; a shoulder left and right movement instructing portion for instructing left and right movements of the shoulder; an upper arm instructing portion for instructing rotations of the upper arm, an elbow instructing portion for instructing bending and stretching movements of an elbow; a front arm left and right movement instructing portion for instructing left and right movements of a front arm; and a wrist up and down movement instructing portion for instructing up and down movements of a wrist; left and right finger portion instructing portions respectively include a wrist left and right movement instructing portion for instructing left and right movements of the wrist; first, second and third finger portion instructing portions for instructing bending and stretching movements of the first, second and third fingers, and the head portion operating portion includes a head up and down movement instructing portion for instructing up and down movements of the head portion; and a head left and right movement instructing portion for instructing left and right movements of the head portion.
With the above-described construction, such an advantageous effect can be brought about, by which movement instructions can be provided to the robot apparatus on the basis of operation data that is generated at the arm portion operating portion, finger portion operating portion, and the respective instructing portions such as the head up and down movement instructing portion and head left and right movement instructing portion.
The robot remote controlling apparatus according to a third aspect of the invention is featured, in addition to the robot remote controlling apparatus described in the first or the second aspect, in that the left and right arm portion operating portions, respectively, include a shoulder forward and backward detecting portion for detecting forward and backward movements of a shoulder; a shoulder left and right movement detecting portion for detecting left and right movements of the shoulder; an upper arm detecting portion for detecting rotations of the upper arm, an elbow detecting portion for detecting bending and stretching movements of an elbow; a front arm left and right movement detecting portion for detecting left and right movements of a front arm; and a wrist up and down movement detecting portion for detecting up and down movements of a wrist; the left and right finger portion operating portions, respectively, include a wrist left and right movement detecting portion for detecting left and right movements of the wrist; first, second and third finger portion detecting portions for detecting bending and stretching movements of the first, second and third fingers, and the head portion operating portion includes a head up and down movement detecting portion for detecting up and down movements of the head portion; and a head left and right movement detecting portion for detecting left and right movements of the head portion.
With the above-described construction, such an advantageous effect can be brought about, by which respective amounts of operation can be accurately detected at the respective instruction portions, and the detected data is transmitted to the robot apparatus as the operation data.
The robot remote controlling apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the invention is featured, in addition to the robot remote controlling apparatus described in the third aspect, in that the respective detecting portions include pulleys and timing belts that transmit forward and backward, left and right and turning movements as turning actions, and variable resistors for detecting the turning actions.
With the above-described construction, such an advantageous effect can be brought about, by which the respective amounts of operation can be accurately transmitted to the variable resistors, and accurate operation data can be produced.
The robot remote controlling apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the invention is featured, in addition to the robot remote controlling apparatus described in any one of the first aspect through the fourth aspect, in that the supporting section is provided with a change switch for changing data which is inputted into the display.
With the above-described construction, such an advantageous effect can brought about, by which the displaying contents of the display can be changed to, for example, operation data and image data.
A robot apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the invention is constructed to be a robot apparatus for driving respective parts of the robot upon receiving, via a base station and a public communications network, transmission data from the robot remote controlling apparatus that is composed of a robot operating apparatus for operating the respective parts of the robot, an operation side computer apparatus that processes data on the basis of operation data from the robot operating apparatus, and an operation side mobile communications unit for transmitting data, which is processed by the computer apparatus, via a wireless circuit; and is composed so that the same comprises: a robot side mobile communications unit for receiving transmission data from the operation side mobile communications unit; a robot side computer apparatus for processing data, which is received by the robot side mobile communications unit, and outputting the operation data; and a robot mechanism portion including respective parts of the robot that are controlled on the basis of the operation data outputted from the robot side computer apparatus.
With the above-described construction, the robot mechanism portion has such an advantageous effect by which the same can be easily and remotely controlled on the basis of operation data from the robot side computer apparatus.
The robot apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the invention is featured, in addition to the robot apparatus described in the sixth aspect, in that the robot mechanism portion includes a motor that is driven on the basis of operation data which is outputted from the robot side computer apparatus, and respective parts of the robot that are driven by the motor.
With the above-described construction, such an advantageous effect can be brought about, by which since respective parts of a robot of the robot mechanism portion can be driven by a small-sized and simplified motor, the structure of the robot apparatus itself can be made simple.
The robot apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the invention is featured, in addition to the robot apparatus described in the seventh aspect, in that the respective parts of the robot are a head portion, a body portion, a travel portion, an arm portion and a finger portion.
With the above-described construction, such an advantageous effect can be brought about, by which the robot apparatus itself can be made simple in structure, and at the same time, various types of goods for various uses can be handled.
The robot apparatus according to a ninth aspect of the invention is featured, in addition to the robot apparatus described in the eighth aspect, in that the robot mechanism portion includes a motor, a servo valve, an electric cylinder portion, and a starter motor, which are driven on the basis of operation data outputted from the robot side computer apparatus, and respective parts of the robot, which are driven by the motors, the servo valve, and the electric cylinder portion.
With the above-described construction, such an advantageous effect can be brought about, by which the structure of the robot apparatus itself is simplified, and at the same time, it becomes possible to handle various types of goods for various uses.
The robot apparatus according to a tenth aspect of the invention is featured, in addition to the robot apparatus described in the ninth aspect, in that the respective parts of the robot are a head portion, a body portion for left and right movements, a speed changer, which are driven by the motors, a body portion for up and down movements, an arm portion, a finger portion, which are driven by a hydraulic cylinder via the servo valve, a throttle valve of an engine, a clutch, a brake, and a left and right swiveling portion, which are driven by the electric cylinder, and a flywheel directly connected to an engine crankshaft, which is driven by the starter motor.
With the above-described construction, such an advantageous effect can brought about, by which the structure of the robot apparatus is simplified, and it becomes possible to handle various types of goods for various uses. Furthermore, the construction can bring about such an advantageous effect of displaying sufficient forces (torque) and number of revolutions since the travelling thereof is driven by an engine. Since the respective parts of the robot are driven by hydraulic pressure, wherein, since no oil pressure is employed, the danger of fire can be excluded even if the hydraulic pressure tube is broken, and if water is colored, it is possible to easily locate the breakage point.